BrightFarms, a leading player in the indoor farming industry, has begun shipping leafy greens from Macon, Georgia, to grocery stores all across the Southeast U.S. The new Macon location, established toward the end of 2024, is BrightFarms' third regional greenhouse hub, reported PR Newswire.
Indoor farming helps optimize land and minimize water usage, resulting in greater and healthier crop yields, according to Forbes. Abiding by its sustainability promise, BrightFarms has been farming indoors with recycled rainwater at its seven pesticide-free greenhouse farms ever since the company's conception in 2011.
The operation of regional hubs, moreover, allows BrightFarms to distribute local greens to grocery chains within a close radius. Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) reveals that the Macon site, for instance, makes its deliveries in a few hours, thanks to its convenient location.
"90% of packaged salads in the U.S. are grown on the West Coast of the U.S.," said Jess Soare of BrightFarms marketing, "and they spend 7-10 days on a truck before arriving in Atlanta."
By offering a local alternative to West Coast shipments, the regional hub in Macon helps reduce national carbon pollution by cutting down on the number of cross-country delivery trucks burning fuel on the road, all while keeping your produce seven to 10 days fresher.
Produce tends to lose nutrients the longer it takes to reach your local grocer, meaning that most of the vegetables you buy each week have declined in nutritional quality even before you load them into your shopping cart. Locally grown produce, like BrightFarms' leafy greens, mitigates the issue by cutting down on shipping time.
In fact, all three regional hubs and all seven greenhouses are located in the eastern half of the United States, where deliveries from the West Coast would otherwise take the longest. Based on reports from Produce Grower, a fourth hub in the Northeast is currently in the works.
In addition to its eco-conscious efforts, BrightFarms is also working toward societal health and betterment. The Macon location has employed over 250 locals, per GPB, and through its recent partnership with Cox Farms, BrightFarms has designed the "Cox Farms Discovery Center:" a training facility for the next generation of greenhouse workers.
In 2025, with three regional hubs in play, BrightFarms anticipates shipping to over 15,000 stores, serving two-thirds of the American population.
"This is a big win for our local economy and a step forward in supporting the health of our residents today and for generations to come," Macon Mayor Lester Miller told GBP.
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